Kirkwood Presbyterian focuses on mission work

Published: Monday, March 4, 2013 at 9:39 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, March 4, 2013 at 9:39 a.m.

A new Lent-related program strengthens community bonds at Kirkwood Presbyterian, where supporting missions has long been a cornerstone of worship.

Significant Thursdays allows those from the mission-active congregation to volunteer one day a week from Ash Wednesday until Easter.

Senior Pastor Hope Lee said the ministry is part of the church's efforts during the past three years to redefine supporting missions.

"Missions for a long time in mainline churches have been about writing checks and giving money," she said. "We want people to engage in missions. We don't want them to send off their checks into some great beyond and hope it does some good."

Kirkwood partners with several organizations. Members have shown great enthusiasm while volunteering at, among others, the Children's Academy of Southwest Florida, Beth-El Farmworkers Ministry and Manasota Operation Troop Support, Lee said.

"People join Kirkwood because they want to be part of a community," she said, citing a survey of new members. "People who come to Kirkwood, they don't want to be sitting in a pew, they want to be doing what God's doing in the world. Kirkwood gives them the chance to do it."

Creating and collecting giveaway bags at Turning Points, a coalition effort that helps the homeless, is one way they can participate, local mission deacon Carolyn Roskamp said.

Roskamp noted that everyone was not able to join the youth group as it traveled on mission trips in recent years to New Orleans, West Virginia and Tennessee, but the Thursday commitments to serve should play an important role in deepening relationships in the congregation.

"We're trying to do something besides just writing those disbursement checks," she said. "We're strengthening the connection between members and missions. It's just to try to involve as many people as possible and make a difference with the groups we are working with."

For the elderly and those who cannot volunteer outside the church, mission team member Margot Joynes offers another option. Some members knit caps and bundle puzzles and magazines to give to sailors served by Anchor House at Port Manatee.

The commitment to missions also includes Operation Christmas Child, an international effort to send care boxes to children in 100 countries.

Kirkwood's focus now, though, is on serving the community one Thursday at a time.

"The idea is we can get everyone involved," she said. "The goal I think is, people may write a check but they really don't know what it's like. It's to serve but also to create awareness."

<p>A new Lent-related program strengthens community bonds at Kirkwood Presbyterian, where supporting missions has long been a cornerstone of worship.</p><p>Significant Thursdays allows those from the mission-active congregation to volunteer one day a week from Ash Wednesday until Easter.</p><p>Senior Pastor Hope Lee said the ministry is part of the church's efforts during the past three years to redefine supporting missions.</p><p>"Missions for a long time in mainline churches have been about writing checks and giving money," she said. "We want people to engage in missions. We don't want them to send off their checks into some great beyond and hope it does some good."</p><p>Kirkwood partners with several organizations. Members have shown great enthusiasm while volunteering at, among others, the Children's Academy of Southwest Florida, Beth-El Farmworkers Ministry and Manasota Operation Troop Support, Lee said.</p><p>"People join Kirkwood because they want to be part of a community," she said, citing a survey of new members. "People who come to Kirkwood, they don't want to be sitting in a pew, they want to be doing what God's doing in the world. Kirkwood gives them the chance to do it."</p><p>Creating and collecting giveaway bags at Turning Points, a coalition effort that helps the homeless, is one way they can participate, local mission deacon Carolyn Roskamp said.</p><p>Roskamp noted that everyone was not able to join the youth group as it traveled on mission trips in recent years to New Orleans, West Virginia and Tennessee, but the Thursday commitments to serve should play an important role in deepening relationships in the congregation.</p><p>"We're trying to do something besides just writing those disbursement checks," she said. "We're strengthening the connection between members and missions. It's just to try to involve as many people as possible and make a difference with the groups we are working with."</p><p>For the elderly and those who cannot volunteer outside the church, mission team member Margot Joynes offers another option. Some members knit caps and bundle puzzles and magazines to give to sailors served by Anchor House at Port Manatee.</p><p>The commitment to missions also includes Operation Christmas Child, an international effort to send care boxes to children in 100 countries.</p><p>Kirkwood's focus now, though, is on serving the community one Thursday at a time.</p><p>"The idea is we can get everyone involved," she said. "The goal I think is, people may write a check but they really don't know what it's like. It's to serve but also to create awareness."</p>